1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to item/document pocket receptacles for high speed sorter stackers and to means in such receptacles for stacking items at high speed close together without inter item interference.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of stacker apparatus have been utilized to stack items in receptacle pockets of high speed sorters with varying degrees of success and and/or effectiveness. Forced air, vacuum, electrostatic deflection, etc., have been tried but no single arrangement to date is completely effective or satisfactory with all types of items.
Some of the better known examples are effective with thick heavy paper items but are more or less insensitive to those items which are relatively thin or flimsy in cross section. Other types of item handling apparatus work well for thin items but have encountered difficulties with punch card weight stock.
The present apparatus avoids the problem associated with the earlier stacker pocket apparatus while providing a cheaper, more efficient, easier to handle, easily replaceable piece of hardware which aids in stacking all types of items regardless of weight and/or size or cross sectional area and at the same time vibrates the item slightly but sufficiently to overcome the frictional drag imposed on the item by the floor of the receptacle into which the items are stacked.